Spotify’s free ad money for video creators

• Spotify is wooing some potential video creators with promises of free ad money. Natalie Jarvey of The Ankler published a leaked Spotify deck; and one slide shows an incentive of $5,000 of free ad credits within Spotify Ads Manager to help eligible new video creators to promote their shows. Spotify often highlights that many creators see a growth in consumption after adding video: but it hasn’t mentioned that it gives $5,000 of free ads to drive that consumption increase.

• Today, June 26, marks the thirteenth anniversary of the launch of the Apple Podcasts iOS app in 2012. The app featured a faux reel-to-reel tape deck, apparently a nod to the Braun TG 60 tape recorder by Dieter Rams. In the Apple Podcasts app, speed controls were marked with a tortoise and a hare; and promotion for This American Life on the editorially-curated “featured” section. The app also featured a “Top Stations” discovery feature. Here’s a video from CTTechJunkie showing how the app worked; a positive review from Revision3; and this demo from GetConnected Media which shows how the “Top Stations” feature worked: with an audio/video switch right at the top. Hey, there’s an idea…

  • It’s the twentieth anniversary of podcasts going into iTunes on Saturday.

• 86% of Gen Z listen to music or consume podcasts ​to help boost their mood, according to a new study. The Gen Z Report, from Edison Research and SiriusXM Media, says that 13-24 year-olds are most concerned with the economy, social injustice and political division. 8% of their audio time is spent with podcasts; they discover podcasts most-often by “searching on YouTube”.

• Last week at Cannes Lions, YouTube claimed 200 billion views a day for YouTube Shorts. In his Podcast Strategy newsletter, Chris Stone points out that they changed the definition of a “play” for YouTube Shorts to account for any length of playback - with the result, he says, that these numbers are now a third bigger. (Of note, YouTube has never published the definition of a “play” for regular videos.)

• After a four month haitus, Alix Earle’s Hot Mess podcast is to return - but kind of not. “This is no longer going to be a traditional podcast. It’s going to be very video-forward,” she says on YouTube, and it’s to be “posted on YouTube and Spotify”. The audio is still in the podcast feed, though given how video-focused the show is now, we’d challenge you to listen to it and understand what’s going on in the middle part.

• How much is Joe Budden making from his Patreon? He’s posted a screenshot of his Patreon app, which appears to say that his membership earnings are $902,000. The time period for that amount isn’t clear.

• The UK Government released its Creative Industries Sector Plan, part of an aim to ensure long-term economic growth. Podcasts gets just one mention, acknowledging that they’re “now mainstream”; but not mainstream enough to be formally recognised as part of the Creative industries, though; and so the sector will miss out on investment, focus and tax support - a decision that AudioUK describe as “baffling”.

• Jason Snell of Six Colors posts all about the improved iPadOS 26 audio and video capture tools. “Podcasters should be rejoicing,” Jason says.

  • Podnews isn’t reporting on our experiences with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, because the developer builds are marked as confidential, and Apple specifically tells developers not to post screenshots or information. Expect coverage from us once the new OSs make it to public beta.

If you get value from Podnews, you can support us with money (here), but you can also support us in other ways. Today: could you help make a Wikipedia page for Podnews? With more than 500 citations in Wikipedia, we’d sure like one.

Moves and hires

• KQED is preparing for as many as 25 layoffs. A further nine staff accepted voluntary payoffs earlier this year.

• Wisconsin Public Radio is to lay off at least 15 staff and the station is closing four shows.

Tips and tricks - with Memberful

• How the podcast charts work is one easy way to understand why Spotify’s #1, YouTube’s #1 and Apple’s #1 are all often very different.

Podcast News - with Podcast Movement

In Every Step of the Way, you’ll learn more about the enduring impact of Children’s Aid on the lives of kids in NYC. In the podcast’s first series, “I’m a Children’s Aid Kid,” there is a focus on remarkable alumni who have transitioned into successful adulthood - and how the support, resources, and guidance from Children’s Aid played a pivotal role in their journey.

Impariamo l’italiano piano piano - We learn Italian step-by-step - isn’t for total beginners, but if you have a little Italian under your belt, it could be for you. There’s a story at the heart of each episode, told first in slow Italian, then in English and Italian. But this podcast isn’t just a story: you’ll also learn grammar and vocabulary in a way that actually sticks. If you’re learning Italian, this is for you, piano piano — step by step.

Management Meets has started season three - speaking with Hugo Adams, the CEO of sustainable packaging startup, Kelpi. Hugo shares his stories from his extensive career scaling innovative startups, including roles at The Body Shop, Kraft Foods, Dyson and SuperDry - working closely with entrepreneurs such as Anita Roddick and James Dyson.

The Random and Wonderful starts this week with stories that explore how travel shapes who we are. This week’s episode looks at world-schooling. Grace Simmons chats with fascinating guests about travel, personal growth, and all the unexpected twists that turn random moments into unforgettable adventures.

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